Nine Chinese ministries, in a joint statement released on Wednesday, urged citizens to change one Chinese burial tradition. That is to bury family members in one plot rather than individual plots.
The recommendation would like be met with resistance because Chinese have so many burial traditions that die hard. Bereaved family members would insist on following these traditions lest their deceased relative not rest in peace in his journey to the next life.
Among the factors that determine how the burial should be are the age of the dead person, cause of death, marital status and position in society. The long list of custom includes leaving the corpse in the funeral parlor, parents cannot offer prayers for a dead child, silent burial for a dead infant and removal of all mirrors.
The reception to the suggestion to have one burial plot for family members would likely go the way of a previous suggestion to cremate their dead and scatter the ashes in the sea to save on the need to buy a cemetery plot which is more expensive than an apartment for the living.
China Daily cited as an example a Beijing burial plot for one person which could cost 40,000 yuan ($6,214) per square meter. If the plot is in Guangzhou and Shanghai, prices go higher at a minimum of 50,000 yuan per sqm ($7.655).
In comparison, prices of properties in premier city center in China average $6,932 per sqm, according to Global Property Guide. By major city, average price of property in Beijing is 43,349 yuan ($6.711) per sqm, while in Shenzhen, it is 35,628 yuan ($5,515) and 59,534 yuan ($9,216) in Shanghai, the financial capital of China.
However, Chinese would be willing to pay the high price of saying goodbye to their dead kin because they view complying with those extravagant rites as going away in dignity.